The post that started it all draws distinct lines between what we might think of as harmless conspiracy theories (like aliens building Stonehenge) and conspiracies that can have a detrimental effect on society as a whole. The bottom tip corresponds to ideas that are grounded in reality — things that actually happened, like COINTELPRO and NSA mass surveillance. As you move up the chart, you go through various points — the "Speculation Line," "Leaving Reality," "Science Denial," and "The Antisemitic Point of No Return," each of which pairs with various conspiracies like Area 51 and chemtrails. At the top of the triangle are ideas completely detached from reality — dangerous beliefs about QAnon, the deep state, Bill Gates microchipping, and Holocaust denial. Those who believe the theories at the top should get help, the chart says.
Yes conspiracy theories were once harmless, but they have started to take on a really sinister angle and are affecting election outcomes and even fuelling violence for no reason. They are complex as they can be motivated by revenge, politics, economics, maliciousness, or any other reason but the 'uninformed' become the amplifiers. We need wrongs called out, but there is a fine line between accusing the guilty vs the innocent before any form of judicial process has even started.
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Meet the influencers who are fighting the spread of online conspiracy theories#
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fakenews
They're trying to "pre-bunk" the dangerous misinformation that spreads easily on social media
